On Saturday, the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board began its endorsements for the upcoming primaries in Illinois. Our tradition of political endorsements goes back many years and is a cornerstone of this newspaper’s history.
In the primaries, board members endeavor to help both Republican and Democratic Party-affiliated readers make their best choices while also considering broader issues affecting this city, state and nation. It is also notable that many of these races have a large number of talented candidates for office, and thus some of our endorsements will discuss more than one candidate approvingly, noting their appeal to different voters; however, we do plan one endorsement except in the rare cases in which we do not feel we’re able to endorse any candidate on either one or both sides of the ticket.
As the largest newspaper in Illinois, read throughout the Land of Lincoln, we are making endorsements in statewide races both for the U.S. House of Representatives and the Illinois statehouse, as well as in county-specific races involving Cook County. We make our choices carefully and consult a variety of sources.
A corporate edict from Tribune Publishing prevents us from making formal endorsements in the Illinois races for U.S. Senate and the Republican gubernatorial primary. Nonetheless, we plan on offering our frank opinions on the policies and qualifications of those candidates at the conclusion of our process, as we always do.
We’ve been impressed with many candidates and believe Illinoisans will have many excellent choices. And over the next several days, we will do our best to help you make your best choice. The list below will grow as we share endorsements.
Cook County Board president
As the Book of Ecclesiastes offered us, there’s a season for everything. The time has come at last for a new leader of the Cook County Board.
Brendan Reilly has our endorsement. Read the full editorial.